Beef Stew
by Vanity-Sky
Summary: Ochako, a clumsy young white mage in training and sole survivor of her village desperately seeks help from the King of dragons to find a cure but he's a lot of work, kinda like beef stew. Kacchako/Kirimina/Implied Tododeku. Fantasy au. One-shot.


AN: I just really love the fantasy au anime ending and wanted to get this idea outta my system so that I can finish my other fic and get started on another brand-new idea.

This is a hella long one-shot and I just hope that it's enjoyable.

Summary: Ochako, a clumsy young white mage in training and sole survivor of her village desperately seeks help from the King of dragons to find a cure but he's a lot of work, kinda like beef stew. Kacchako/Kirimina/Implied Tododeku. Fantasy au. One-shot.

Happy reading~ :D

Beef Stew

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Ochako, promise me that you'll get as far away from this place as you can" her father, a humble stone mason, pleas with a violent cough while shakily holding her hands in his.

"Papa, I can't leave you!" her breath shudders, tears prickling down her soot stained cheeks.

She watches as his body hardens, getting covered in a dark jagged stone plaster as he takes his last breath. The black matter terrified her causing her to quickly let go of his hands and run away as he had plead her to.

Not knowing where she was going, she fled to the woods nearby. On the hill top, she watches over her small village. A once humble, lively, and friendly place now turned into nothing but ash as the fires raged on.

She drops to her knees, tiny dry grass blades scuffling her maroon colored thigh-high socks. Covering her face in her hands, she breaks down and cries, feeling like an utter failure for not being able to dispel the never-ending fire. Her entire village had been petrified into sculptures made out of an abysmal black jagged stone substance.

The longer she watched in sadness, the quicker Ochako had discovered that the fire was only an illusion. For the most part, her house still stood, the entire village was still intact, and the only thing gone were the people. They laid still in whatever positions the black tar had captured them in as if they were timeless still-life's.

She's unsure whether the fire spell was set to ward off any trespassers that might try and loot the place or if there was an evil wizard behind all of this. All she knows is that she had been the sole survivor - the youngest white mage still in training.

This level of magic based illness that swept her land was well beyond her years. And with her being the only one left to be able to tell her tale to any lending ear and hopefully find the aid she desperately seeks - she couldn't afford to break down again. Her village only had herself and another, her beloved childhood friend affectionately nicknamed Deku. He was eons more knowledgeable in the mystic arts than she but he had been struck by the black rocks and now was molded to his spot just as the others.

It was _just_ her luck.

She _wasn't_ cut out for this.

 _Any_ of this.

Ochako takes a small twig that was lying next to her knees, taking it into her hands and rubbed it against her fingertips until she felt the energy of mother nature grant a new life into its bark making the small twig branch out, extending into a full sturdy pole. The brand-new leaflets spread out with tiny vines, imitating the bristles of an ordinary broom.

Getting up from the ground, she studies her creation and makes sure that it's sturdy enough in order to handle her weight. She's only ever created a broom once in her life and that was her first practice.

Ochako had succeeded in her first flight around her village but this new broom had to prove that it could take her even further.

Pressing one finger gently onto the broom, she watched it levitate, not really doing much but floating there which was a good sign so far. Next, she applied a bit more pressure causing the broom to move from its spot but just as swiftly, it returned to its original position which was another good sign.

Even if her makeshift broom were to give out on her, it'd have at least provided _some_ distance between her village and wherever she's going. She still has no clue where she's traveling to seeing as she's never actually left her village before.

In that moment, she feels like the world's worst mage. Mages travel around all sorts of vast lands, honing their abilities, becoming one with the nature, the elements, and absorbing just each and every new experience with vigor. She's done zero of that, having been sheltered in her training and life in general.

Part of her felt like it was her own fault for stopping her development because her humble parents - both stone masons worked day and night so hard for her sake just so that she could come home to a nice warm meal every single day.

Ochako greatly appreciates her parents and the fact that they even allowed her to study magic, telling them time and time again how she wanted to make it up to them by becoming her village's number one female mage.

Then again that position wasn't very hard to fill up, having no competition with her being the _only_ female mage around for miles. The next big town was well over a week away from her small village.

Maybe she should've been frozen instead. Deku could've easily taken her place and save them all in record time. She sucks and she knows it.

Normally she'd _love_ to give her insecurities the time of day to shine. Clouding her every thought with them reminding her that she can't even cast the simplest of spell without struggling. The broom in itself was a miracle and she wasn't about to question how she even did it without her second-guessing trying to rationalize with her that maybe she only was able to get it right because she's in distress, stressed out, internally panicking and probably shed twenty pounds in water weight alone from all her crying.

"You've got this, Ochako, just fly to the next town over and hope that someone'll direct you onto the right path" she quietly pep talks herself, doing exactly that.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Things were going smoothly; the skies were empty for miles with not a single cloud in sight. She hoped that such nice weather would last for the remainder of the week as that's how long it'll take her to venture to her location.

Of course, nothing ever went her way. It's not like she _deserved_ a break, how could she when she hasn't even done anything yet to save her people. Just, a small little piece of good news and good fortune was what she was hoping for and none that she got as her broom decided all on its own to warp speed her to the next town over.

Ochako doesn't know the how or the why but wasn't about to jinx it. Landing ever so gracefully on her ass, right in the dead center of the hustle and bustle of the bigger town - she brushes herself off and glares at her crazy broom as if it could understand her.

"Thanks, I guess…" she narrows her eyes at the wooden stick, "a little rough but it beats a week's worth of traveling"

So far, so good.

Like any good natured and social person, she's a bubbly, optimistic person that got started on her task of asking people around town if they could aid her. She quickly learned the brutal way that not everyone cares about your problems or even bothers to lend an ear to said problems. Any chance she got to open her mouth was quickly shut with rude comments and physically shoving her away. Men or women, cat or dog, it didn't matter - no one was going to listen to her or heed her warning of being careful.

The last guy that she tried to politely try and gain his attention of had nearly pushed her petite self into a mud pile right next to the entrance of a rowdy looking bar. He was walking out, she in his way, so naturally he tried and failed to throw her into mud all while yelling obscenities in a slurred speech when he turned to face her and noticed she hadn't fallen in. He raised a dismissive right hand with a small 'humbug' and walked away when he saw he lost.

Her quick reflexes had saved her there.

Chewing on her bottom lip, a habit of hers that she developed due to her anxiety; she looked directly at the bar straight in her path and debated about going in or not. "Well… I've literally tried everyone in this town to help except for…" she deeply sighs, knowing that the bar was the last place to ask but it needed to be done.

She knows at least the basic fundamentals of cheap parlor tricks and childish magician levels of magic acts to get her by in case she might accidentally stirs up trouble. Her crazy broom was the most advanced thing she has ever summoned and now that she's had more time to think about it, she's _almost_ certain that the wood she used must've been cursed as she felt a hard nudge on her shoulder, causing her shoulder to lean in the direction that led towards the bar.

"Alright, alright, fine already" she takes one small step forwards, "I'll go in there, just don't push me again, _please_ " part of her questions why she's even speaking to a _broom_ of all things and the other part of her still felt the need to be polite. She supposes, that's just how she was brought up

Shyly, she presses her palms flat on the creaky, beaten up wooden door that has clearly seen better days with the smallest of efforts. Easily slipping into the bar unnoticed, she's allowed just enough time to swoop her head down as a thick half-filled beer mug comes barreling her way. The mug crashed loudly against a far wall on the right, startling patrons hidden in a corner table. Amber liquid and foam now slowly cascading down the tarnished wall. Ignoring her near-concussion moment, she makes her way towards the counter.

Ochako figures that she could just avoid any unwanted drunk confrontations if she just sticks to speaking with whoever manages the bar.

Get in and get the hell out. That's her current motto.

"Sorry you almost got a souvenir bump on your head. I would yell but they just don't listen to me when it's happy hour" the barmaid speaks up while wiping the inside of a steamy clean mug. "So, you're definitely a new face around here~ want a drink?" she kindly offers with a bubbly personality.

Finally, someone nice!

"Oh, sorry I can't drink. I just turned sixteen…" she awkwardly rubs the back of her neck. She was only two years shy away from turning eighteen, the legal drinking age in their land. "I'm actually here in search of some vital information…" she begins, cutting to the chase now that she has the barmaid's attention.

The barmaid herself was a pink-skin, wildly pink-haired young woman with black scleras and pupils, yellow irises and yellow thin horns on her head along with a yellow and red checkered bandana cutely tied as a bow to the side. She was wearing a short black leather mini-skirt, a rich purple thigh-high knee socks with metal knee guards, purple ankle boots with clear heels, a black cheetah printed tube top split in the middle with the other half having a small chain-link breast plate with a heart design, adorned with a wide thick brown leather belt on her waist that was connected to a brown leather shoulder pauldron with three layers adorned with pink and white scales. On both arms, she has gold bangles and an intricate tattoo on her left arm of the letter 'E.'

It took Ochako a couple of seconds to notice that the barmaid also has a beautiful long pink dragon tail with white speckles of scales scattered in-between all the pink.

She loses her concentration of trying to just ask for info and leave when she's caught staring for far too long at the tail.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" the barmaid speaks up as she swishes her tail around and holds it with one hand, "I just polished my scales the other day~" she lovingly says as she watches the young mage grow flustered.

"I'm so sorry for staring, I don't get out much!" she's extremely embarrassed but the kind barmaid dismisses it, "I'm just glad that you haven't cast a fire spell on me yet. Contrary to popular belief, dragons are weakened by another's flames. Only my husband's can't affect me" she cheerily explains with a hint of sadness.

"Oh no, I'd never harm someone without knowing them" she's quick to explain and then smiles, "so you're married?" she asks.

The barmaid leans over the counter to shake hands with the young girl, "I'm Mina" she greets, "my dragon clan has a tradition of marrying and binding two who share a deep connection that are born from the same spark of an ember" she smiles at the memory while gently rubbing the 'E' tattooed on her arm, "I haven't seen my husband in well over a year due to leaving our clan to pursue the knowledge of language so that I can go back home someday soon to teach the others. I'm just working at a bar to avoid any dragon slayers in these overpopulated areas in the meantime but it won't be very long until I'm reunited once again with my special Horn Buddy" she fondly giggles pointing at her thin crooked horns that pointed sideways.

Ochako awes at the story, thanking Mina for sharing. "I'm Ochako, I come from Musutafu Village, it's extremely small and located well over a week away from here but…" she looks down at the countless rings of the wood counter, "a black plague has taken over my village and I don't know how to break the spell. I'm the only one who managed to escape before it caught me too" she deeply sighs to bury the underlying tears that threaten to fall as she recalls the screams of terror that took everyone away.

She flinches a bit when Mina softly places a hand over hers on the counter, "listen, I know we've just met but I think I know of a way to help you" she says with a hesitant tone, "but it's not going to be easy"

Just hearing someone offer any kind of help was already more than she was expecting. Ochako nods and eagerly waits for Mina to elaborate as she cautiously looks left and right to make sure that no one was near or close enough to eavesdrop on them.

"My husband is best friends with the King of dragons. He's the current head of my clan and is a human born. I don't think he'll sympathize well with you due to his grudge against other humans but if you can find my husband and convince him of your dire situation then I'm sure he'll put in a good word for you with the King. I'll give you my wedding pendant and a note that will gain you his trust but you'll need to use a bit of your magic to convert our dragon language as my husband only understands a few words of human. I'll tell you the location in where you can find them both, we're a tight-knit, extremely secluded clan so they'll sense when you've arrived. They don't take too kindly to trespassers but do not forget to show my note first. It'll be scary but this is crucial not to forget!" she heeds as she curls a finger, gesturing for Ochako to lean in further in so that she can whisper the location into her ear.

Ochako's heart hammers against her chest. Just her luck yet again. She can barely cast magic, has a temperamental broomstick, and on top of that - now she needs to remember how to do a medium level language conversion spell. But at least she's gotten a huge leap in figuring out this mysterious illness and has set forth on a new unlocked path to discover its cure.

Mina finishes putting away the beer mugs she had just wiped clean and put on her light grey gloves with black fur she had set aside back on. Again, she checks her surrounding before cautiously taking out a simple ruby red pendant on a gold chain from her mini-skirt's pocket and hands it to Ochako along with a note explaining everything. "Please do take care of my precious treasure. I'm trusting you because this is a serious situation that has affected this land before and it will again if it's not stopped once and for all" she explains, wishing the mage a safe journey and good luck.

She profusely thanks the kind barmaid by bowing her head and promising to take good care of her pendant. Going outside once again, she pleas with her broom to be nice to her and actually take her to said location she was told without blasting her all the way there.

In all her haste, Ochako forgot one very important thing.

She forgot to stock up on fuel. Sighing, she tries to ignore the loud annoying rumbling of her stomach demanding food. "I'll be fine, I can always forage around in the woods later" she tells herself as she flies five hours away from the town.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

By then, her stomach is angrily demanding food, feeling insulted that she hasn't done anything to quell the gnawing pain. In her hungry delirium, she forgets about Mina's warning as she lands in the middle of a grassy field. "Sooo hungry…" she whines rubbing her stomach in circular motions.

Now she really did need to start looking for food, feeling the earth move around her and thinking that it was herself causing the rift. She failed to notice a second sooner as she felt an intense aura behind her. She may suck as a mage but her sensitivity to the mystic arts has never faltered in alerting her of stronger presences around her. Gulping, she hesitates to turn around and face whatever beast came stalking her way. Mentally preparing herself to do so, her shaky legs turn her around, straining her neck up in order to face the red menacing looking dragon right in front of her.

The dragon roars once creating a harsh wind surrounding her. If it weren't for her broom settling itself deeply into the ground, she would've easily been blown away a couple of miles back. "Please, I come in peace!" she hastily begs, holding up the pendant, forgetting to show the note first.

This only made things worse as the dragon raised a claw talon, ready to strike her but before it could, she noticed the 'M' tattooed on the dragon's right arm. She forgot to ask Mina on any details about the King's best friend but figured that he'd be the first to find her before she could find them.

"Wait, please, you must be Mina's husband! Your wife gave me this pendant as proof that I come in peace!" she begs the dragon to calm down, finally remembering to take out the note and held it up as high as she could in order to prove her point, "my people have been struck down, my village destroyed, I'm the sole survivor and I'm in desperate need of assistance, so please, don't kill me!" she grits her teeth, refusing to break down now that she's gotten this far.

The dragon debates on trusting her as it tilts his head, not fully being able to understand her human speech but picked on the words, 'peace,' 'Mina,' 'wife,' and 'pendant.'

Ochako watches as the dragon brings in his large majestic wings into himself, wrapping himself as a swirl of wind gushes over the land. Closing her eyes tightly at the force of wind, she doesn't know what's going on until the cold wind subsides and before her a humanized version of the dragon stood in front of her.

The young man has fiery bright red hair, crimson eyes the same shade as his two horns on his head, a small scar right above his right eyebrow, and is wearing light grey jeans with knee-length black leather boots with a small heel, a tattered red sash around his waist, a thick brown leather belt with a shiny bronze buckle, a red and white checkered scarf around his neck, shirtless with only a light grey vest with the sleeveless arm holes tattered, gold bangles on both arms the same as Mina's with an 'M' intricately tattooed on his right arm and on his left arm, he was wearing a metal gauntlet that reached a little before the bend of his elbow with the top covered in a pink and white furred pattern. The last thing she noticed on him was a matching amethyst pendant on a gold chain around his neck and knew that for sure, she had the right person.

Chewing on her bottom lip, she thought urgently on the language spell. Mina's husband must've jumped to conclusion and thought she had forcefully taken or stolen the pendant but so far, he had remained calm. He crossed his arms over his chest, staring her down with awaiting eyes as his long red tail with yellow speckles of scales scattered around, swished impatiently at his side.

Ochako held both hands up and slowly took a step forwards, he took one back and she continued to do this until they reached the exit of the wood's clearing and stumbled upon the first tree there. She kept repeating that she came in peace and apologized when she had her broom hold him against the wide tree.

He growled with sharp teeth bared, thrashing about as she stuttered and kept messing up her spell until finally she felt her lips tingle and glow with a blue tint. She gently held his cheeks in her hands all while avoiding his fangs and dipped in to give his cheek a peck.

He stopped fighting the broom when her quivering lips gave his cheek the gentlest and feather-light kiss he's ever felt. "RAAAAWWWWRRRRR, I'D NEVER FALL FOR A HUMAN!" he began in dragon but then ended in human speech, being taken aback by the sudden transition, "huh, what the hell just happen?!" his eyes widened.

"You can finally understand me, I'm so relieved!" Ochako feels her eyes spinning as she falls to her knees, "I bet Mina will be really happy to know that her husband only has eyes for her" she lets out a quiet giggle, "I'm sorry that I had startled you, I'm so hungry that I wasn't thinking. Your wife told me to show you the note before her pendant but I got those two things mixed up…" she scratches her cheek, feeling a giant sweat drop looming over her head in embarrassment.

"Why did Mina entrust her wedding pendant to a human like you? Is she in any danger? I haven't been able to contact her in over a year…" he cautiously lets out his own information, still keeping his distance from her, broom having freed him as he leaned against the tree.

"No, she's fine. In fact, she's one of the strongest and kindest person I've ever met!" she compliments as he nods, already knowing. "Yeah, that's Mina alright" he chuckles fondly, "so… uhh… the note?" he gestures for her to hand it over.

"Oh right, sorry!" she takes it out of her hidden pocket of her cotton candy pink long-sleeved dress.

Her outfit wasn't anything as fancy as the two dragons she's come to get to meet. Her whole wardrobe consisted of a cotton candy pink dress, the flowy sleeves stopping right before her wrists being tied down by thick pink kunzite gemstone bracelets, old worn out maroon fingerless gloves, a chestnut brown rope belt wrapped around her tiny waist twice with the tassels dangling to her side, maroon knee-length socks, brown leather ankle boots with small heels adorned with kunzite and silver belt buckles and last but not least - her trusty overly sized maroon hoodie that covers and drapes her shoulders, the hoodie has a crooked droopy tip with a cross-stitch pattern embroidered around the head of the hoodie in her signature cotton pink color.

"I'm Eijirou by the way" the young man speaks up as he unfolds the cream-colored note and hums as he reads through it.

"I'm Ochako" she kindly greets back, tilting her head when she hears him suddenly stop humming his tune.

"Shit, this is bad. I'll have to let the King know" he vaguely says, "think you'll be able to wait here for me?"

She slowly nods still confused by how severe of a situation they're in, "of course"

Eijirou thanks her for understanding as he runs out back to the grassy field in the outskirts of the wood's clearing. She doesn't need to guess that he probably transformed back into his dragon form when she feels a rush of wind come barreling her way again. By now it's evening and pitch dark. Her broom nudges her towards scattered twigs and small branches so she can start a fire. For once, her broom was being nice to her as it swept dry materials she could use along her piece of flint to get a spark going.

"Sooo hungry…" Ochako complains while rubbing her irritated stomach. It was already way too late to go parading like an idiot around the dark in an unknown area. This would've been different if it were the woods shrouding her village. Those woods, she knew but here? She wasn't about to jeopardize her life over trying to find a wild berry to satisfy her growing hunger needs.

"I'll just sleep it off…" she whimpers, scooting a nice flat rock her way to use as a makeshift pillow. She fell asleep with dreams of floating foods and hopes of the red dragon Eijirou coming back with aid dancing in her head.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

In the morning, Ochako was in for a rude awakening as she was no longer laying on the uncomfortable ground but instead suspended in mid-air, dangling from the same tree she had cornered Eijirou on, her ankles tied by a thick jute rope that was slowly cutting into her.

"What the heck!" she screeches, panicking and flailing about as she tries to look around her swinging view for her broom or anyone suspicious.

Before she can really start looking or wondering if she had somehow stupidly gotten herself kidnapped in the middle of the night - damn her deep sleeping habits! A growling face appeared right in front of her. Pearly white teeth with sharp canines almost chomp at her as a strong muscular hand tries to hold her upside down chubby cheeks and face still for a moment.

"RRRAAAAWWWWWRRRRRRRR!" he roars in mind-numbing terrifying rage.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screams in utter confused panic.

"Ochako, calm down!" she hears a familiar voice say from a distance while she's desperately trying to hold her dress up so that they couldn't see her pink boy shorts. "He won't be able to understand you until you kiss him" Eijirou says as her eyes zoom around everywhere to pinpoint his exact location.

She hears a thud come from a high branch in the thick tree, realizing he had been perched up there. "K-K-Kiss him?" she questions as inferno seething scarlet red eyes keep her gaze concentrated on him. At least she noticed that this new guy is a blond so there's that.

"Yeah, like with what you did to me" Eijirou instructs, crossing his arms, leaning against the tree refusing to get any closer.

"O-O-Okay" she gulps hard, mumbling her spell chant once again and getting the blue tint glow tingling her lips again. She hears more roaring between Eijirou and the new scary man and prays that it was an explanation about what was about to happen.

She was about to close her eyes, pucker her lips, and wait for the angry blond to let her kiss his cheek when she was shocked into silence herself when she felt his rough lips crash against her own. She's never felt such raw power as his aura before and couldn't help but moan as he gave her an upside down kiss.

"There's your shitty ass kiss, fuckin' bitch!" the blond spat as she's left dazed from the kiss.

There was nothing shitty about that kiss.

She's still dangling with all her blood rushing to her head, forgetting to ask to be set down when she hears the fiery young man yell at Eijirou.

"There, I came as you fuckin' wanted me to, Shitty Hair. But there's nothing special about her. I'm having a real hard time believing that this human Round Faced bitch can even save herself let alone the entire fucking world!"

"Katsuki you know how serious this is. All For One hasn't plagued this land in well over 500 years. You _know_ exactly what _needs_ to be done and where _we_ need to go. We'll provide the mage with protection and nothing more. Once this is all over, we can resume our normal lives but y'know damn well that if we don't fix this shit now, then we'll never have normal again. Normal won't ever exist if the black rocks take completely over" Eijirou tries to reason with him, secretly doubting that Ochako could be the chosen savior they rightfully need but he'd be the optimistic out of the two in order to hope so.

"Umm… excuse me, I won't be of much help to anyone if I die of starvation and blood rushing to one spot…" she meekly responds, still slowly swaying side to side.

"Oh right, sorry about that!" Eijirou rushes to gently unknot the rope when his eyes flash in horror as he watched Katsuki slice the rope with his emerald carved dagger.

An even louder thud than the one he had created when he jumped off the high tree branch could be heard, so loud that it echoed the surrounding area, scaring away a couple of hidden birds in nearby trees.

"Owww!" Ochako painfully whimpers as she landed right on her back, a few sharp rocks embedding themselves into her clothes. Eijirou ran to her side and tried to help her up by supporting her back and getting her to slowly sit up as the world spun around her. Sweeping the rocks off of her, she shoots a glare at the rude blond, now being able to take in his features.

The new young blond man's outfit consisted of dark brown jeans, a thick red belt with a silver buckle, green boots with orange soles, shirtless with tight orange arm sleeves covering a few inches above his wrists and a few after the bend of his elbows, the top of the sleeves had a white and green intricate tribal pattern. On his right arm, he has an intricate tattoo of a 'K,' and a brown leather shoulder harness stitched with a red explosion pattern, on his left the sleeve has two thin brown leather belts attached with a black onyx bangle above the sleeve. A thick luscious white lion's mane adorns the collar of his long tattered crimson red cape. His barbarian look was completed by three gorgeous shimmering necklaces in a pattern of small round spinels and larger sharp claws. One necklace was fire opal, the second blue topaz, and the third a green tsavorite.

"Dude, that wasn't very manly of you!" Eijirou frowns, glaring at his best friend but knowing it was a lost cause trying to get him to sympathize.

"I fuckin' hate humans!" Katsuki says with such disdain seeping in his tone, "you've got one minute before we leave!" he warns, stomping right out of the woods.

"Wow, how generous, a whole minute to make sure you're alright" Eijirou sarcastically repeats Katsuki's meaning as he gives Ochako an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry that your first time meeting the King has been a less than favorable one"

"That's the king?!" she says incredulously, "I heard he was human from Mina but… why does he hate his own kind so much?"

"I uhh…" Eijirou rubs the back of his neck, "I wish I could tell you that but he'd kill me. Maybe if you ask him once he's in a better mood, if you're lucky, he just might tell you"

"I highly doubt that but thanks" Ochako sighs, already growing accustomed to the motion of her bad luck. It was never-ending and she just had to accept her fate. Getting up on wobbly legs, she assured him that she's fine enough to walk on her own.

Her broom still flies to her anyway and allows her to use it as a walking stick in case she really needed it. All she cared for in that moment was to find some food.

"Eijirou, transform!" Katsuki orders and then points at the young mage, "you will refer to me as King, got that, bitch?"

While Eijirou was transforming back, Ochako scoffs at the blond's words, "I have a name you know! It's O-c-h-a-k-o!" she spells it out for him and tries to muster a glare that would move him.

It doesn't.

"Got it, Round Face it is" he gives her no room to argue, "you've got magic, you better use it" he basically tells her that he won't let her ride on his dragon's back, "oh and try and keep up, will ya?" he smirks, crossing his arms over his chest as he ascended into the skies.

Before he was fully out of range, she could hear the complainant tone in Eijirou's dragon groan. "Oh, shut up!" Katsuki smacks his head in annoyance.

"Well, you've heard him broom. Permission to fly at full speed" she raggedly exhales, head still throbbing from who knows how long she had been dangling upside down, and of course, her relentless stomach continues to punch her with reminders that she hasn't eaten in days.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Her tremendous hunger and starvation continued to grow and get worse with each passing day. It had been three days since they've left the grassy field and during all that time, the King hadn't stopped for any breaks except for small intervals that barely even allowed her enough time to go scavenge for food.

By now, her stomach had stopped audibly giving her reminders but she felt like she had a tight coil squeezing her insides. On the night of the fourth night, he finally allowed them to stop. Finally, she could crash on the floor and sleep off how much she was dying on the inside from hunger pains.

Ochako was awoken from her lovely dream about stuffing her face in a very unladylike manner at a banquet hall by the smell of freshly grilled meat. Peeking out one eye open from her position across from the blazing fire pit in the middle of where they made camp - she watches in a fit of envious genuine frustration that Katsuki was just merrily devouring a huge beef shank. His teeth tore right through tender meat while his hand wrapped tightly around the thick bone of the piece of meat.

The asshole was having a private feast while Eijirou was fast asleep and she was pretending to be asleep but couldn't due to her intense hunger pain. Her mouth was drooling desperately for food that she could only just eat up the wafting smells of the grilled meat and just hope that her stomach wouldn't betray her because she wasn't about to humiliate herself by asking him for a scrap like a begging dog.

The next morning, her body reminds her that she isn't invincible.

While in the sky continuing on their route to an unknown location that she hasn't dared to ask anything about, Ochako feels her grip growing weaker on her broom. Her strength, focus, and vision all start to deteriorate with each passing second that she hasn't had anything in her system. Her hand slips from gripping the broom and touches air instead. This causes her to blink herself back into focus, stumbling in her flying maneuver as she regains balance. Luckily for her, she still had one good hand that was still holding her up while her mind's still reeling on what just happened in her daze.

Katsuki and Eijirou were flying just above her at a slightly faster pace but still not fast enough to surpass her entirely. Blinking her eyes furiously, she internally fights with herself to keep pressing on because their next brief stop in the afternoon will be when she finally steps her foot down and ask the major jerk if he'll allow her a couple of minutes more to go search for her own food.

It certainly was no surprise to herself when things didn't go according to plan. Her overly exhausted body has finally given out on her as her grip loosens on her broom and she begins free-falling to her doom.

She could've sworn she hears a gravelly deep voice saying "what the fuck!" as the cold wind prickles at her face, falling endlessly in a mesh of pinks, maroons, and browns.

Eijirou swoops in with a sharp curve in the air, first biting into her broom with a crunching snap and then having Katsuki stand up in order to catch Ochako straight into his arms. "What's this dumbass doing!" he's rude in his questioning, pinching one chubby cheek to see if she'll snap out of her fainting spell, "oi, wake the hell up!" he says but gets no response. "Shitty Hair, bring us down!" he orders in such a bothered way that he's almost seeing red from having this set them back from their steady course.

Doing as he's told, the red dragon takes them to a glen. Transforming back to his humanized form, Eijirou carefully examines Ochako by pressing two fingers against her throat, feeling her frenzied heartbeat, "she needs food and water" he tells his King.

Katsuki waves a dismissive hand as if telling him to deal with it and not bother him. Right as he's about to plop down and zone everything out, he hears Eijirou wince when he tried to cup water in his palms to feed the young mage.

"Katsuki, I can't touch this water" he frowns, curiously watching the glowing turquoise swirls swimming in the water.

"Why the fuck not?!" he grits his teeth, walking over to the edge of the water and bent down to examine, "fuckin' water nymph bitches!" he answers his own question, straightening up to take over, "give me the girl" he orders as Eijirou carefully helps his King by transferring the fainted girl into his arms.

One hand under the bend of her knees and one cupping her neck, Katsuki holds her at a distance from his chest and walks right into the water. "I'm only doing this, this one-time, ya hear me?" he growls hating how he had no choice but to help this useless girl.

Dragons, especially fire types like Eijirou were highly susceptible to severe levels of burns due to the poisonous water. Only humans and water type dragons had a tolerance to the waters guarded by the nymphs.

The water itself was blessed with the nutrients that the young mage would need in order to wake up but she'd still need to search for food. He could've easily dumped her into the streaming river but because he didn't wanna deal with having to chase after her floating body, he opted to hold her tightly in his arms and let the water do its job.

"You need to give her water" he hears Eijirou speak up, cupping his hands around his mouth.

Katsuki rolls his eyes, "yeah, yeah"

He lets her legs float in the water as he scoops his now freed hand to feed her. The water barely passes her slightly parted lips but he knows it's working by its silvery glow. The color of the nymph water shifts when healing wounds.

Later that evening as the sun is about to set, Ochako wakes up to the smell of grilling meats. This time, she doesn't feel that intense gut wrenching pain of hunger. Now mysteriously feeling hydrated and ready to take on the world - she only feels that regular degree of hunger.

"Oi, Round Faced bitch, you better eat and knock that shit out!" the King throws her a metal plate as it clanks on the dirt floor right by her, it was filled to the brim with several cuts of meats and hearty roasted red potatoes, "I am not dragging your sorry ass around this journey. Once I take you to go get the cure, I'm dumping you back to your backwater village"

She'd feel insulted if it weren't for her hunger taking up priority. Taking a small nibble of the food, she mentally stops herself from crying in joy at how delicious it tasted. Going on a week without food or water really hurt her. Nodding, she thanks Eijirou instead for the meal not caring if she had insulted the jerk or not.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

The first two months of their journey was just the two going at each other throats nonstop. Ochako had to constantly remind the King that she was only human, she needed to rest and be given proper time to look for food. All Katsuki wanted to do was get rid of her as soon as possible especially now that she had no choice but to ride on _his_ dragon's back because his dumbass dragon had broken her witch's broom.

"I'm a mage, not a witch!" she defends, feeling insulted for once by his words.

"What-the-fuck-ever" he doesn't care what the hell she is.

Eijirou had long since given up on the trio going a single hour without his King and the young mage's bickering. His sole comfort was rubbing the 'M' tattooed on his arm, praying his adorable badass wife is giving him the strength to just _deal_.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

The third month: Ochako and Katsuki are forcefully bound together by a quick sand mound that they both failed to notice during their heated argument.

She was trying to catch a breather, needing to escape his toxic attitude for only a moment while she collects wild herbs and medicinal plants. The temperamental blond didn't give her the joy of such luxury by following her deeper into the jungle environment, now on the other side of the world.

"This wouldn't have happened if only you weren't following me!" she yells in annoyance, trying her hardest to not move too much.

"You still would've fallen and died with no help, dumbass!" he reasons with anger, trying to fight the sand by aiming to reach a vine.

Eijirou could sense them both but didn't go to their aid right away, wanting them to work things out. He perched himself right on top of a tree branch, eating a green apple and timing how long it'd take them to calm down and try to find a solution.

"I hate you, you know!" she deeply frowns.

"Likewise!" he agrees.

At least they shared something in common.

"You won't tell me where we're going or how long until we reach it… my people… my people are just withering away in my forgotten village" she tries to keep a steady composed tone but the tears threaten to fall with her frustration at everything.

"Why the fuck do you care so much? It's not like your village even gives a shit about you" he's harsh in his words, showing his hatred towards humans.

"Who hurt you!" she narrows her eyes at him, "Not all humans are evil you know, my village was-"

"Filled with sunshine and rainbows, a real damn dream realm. Yeah I get it, your village was filled with weak ass pathetic people" he interjects with his venom.

This causes the anger to grow in Ochako as she absentmindedly muttered a spell under her breath, not knowing what it was but feeling a surge of energy surrounding them. The thick vines come to life as they wrap around her waist, pulling her out. When it pulls the King out, the vines wrap him around the tree and squeeze him hard.

"Tell your vines to back off!" he yells in an order while wincing at the pain.

Ochako doesn't care in that moment as she gets near him, shoving her pointer finger into his hard chest, "whether this is a stupid suicidal mission or not, I'm willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of my village, especially my friends and family!" she harshly pokes him and walks away now needing fresh air more than ever.

"Eijirou!" he orders, ignoring the naïve girl's words.

He couldn't bring himself to sympathize with her goal, absolutely refusing to see the good in wanting to be a hero. She was being stupid if she thinks that others even cared even the barest of amount as much as she cares for them. He had been screwed over by his own people time and time again, closing his heart to the cries of the humans. He didn't need them and the sooner she realizes the same for herself, the better.

The red dragon man immediately comes to the rescue, jumping off the tree and scratched the vines, burning them in the process without a word.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

The fourth month: Katsuki has a momentary change of heart. Ever since their last big fight a month ago, Ochako refuses to camp in the same area. Now in an isolated icy tundra terrain, finding shelter in a deep cavern, he's sitting crossed armed and in peace. Nice and cozy with the fire that his best friend had provided him meanwhile across from him in a colder part closer to the entrance of the cave, Ochako was struggling to create her own spark.

"Aren't you going to help her?" Eijirou asks, debating on whether he should just go and ask her if she wants for him to make her the fire but already guessing she'll say no to him.

Katsuki scoffs, "that dumbass can freeze to death for all I care!" he pointedly turns his head, refusing to give more time and energy to watching the mage struggle with herself.

Eijirou shakes his head, if he can't make her a fire then he'll at least offer her food. Giving her food was a success but she still repeatedly refuses any help. She's in her own little corner, shivering like crazy with her snapped broomstick at her side. Both giving up on trying to start a fire and try and fix her still broken broom, she decides it's time for bed in the freezing cold.

An hour into the silence of their bedtime, Katsuki growls with the whimpering noises coming out of her mouth. She was hugging, curled into herself and shaking like a leaf. He's about to wake her ass up with his yelling, demanding her to shut the hell up when he hears her softly speak in her troubled sleep. "Mama… Papa… forgive me…" she whispers with a shuddered breath, "I'm so… sorry…" he watches as a tear instantly crystallizes on her round chubby cheek.

He just wants sleep; resting after their long travels would do them all good. So, in a rare moment of caring, he unhooks his large red cape, draping it over her body in hopes that it'll help soothe her. It miraculously works for a good hour until he hears her whimpering again, her breath coming out in puffs of cold smoke.

"Son of a…" he's dead tired by now, just wanting sleep.

Scooping her up in his cape, he carries her closer to his still burning fire. Nestling her in his lap, he rubs her arms and tries to create friction to warm her slightly blue body. She'd be no good to any of them as a frozen over popsicle. "If you're that stupidly serious about saving your people then you better not die out here, Round Face" he whispers while running his thumb over her soft cold cheek, wondering how the world has come to be dependent on this reckless, bubbly young girl to save it.

In the morning, Eijirou is the first to wake up and simply smirks at the sight in front of him. Katsuki had fallen asleep while securely holding onto Ochako in his arms. His head resting on top of hers while hers was resting against his chest, lips filled with a content, peaceful smile.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

The fifth month: Ochako discovers a horrible truth.

While out scavenging for food, by now, she has started to provide herbs, plants, and wild vegetables for the group to eat. Katsuki not really caring whether or not they share their finds. She was going about her normal routine feeling as if she had gotten a good carrying load.

Setting her hoodie that she uses as a makeshift basket near a tree's tangled roots, she starts to take off her clothes, hanging her dress on a large branch so she could bathe in the waterfall she finds. Each and every new location they've ventured off to have been memorable places that she wonders if she'll ever get the opportunity to see again in her lifetime.

She highly doubts it though, having been faithfully committed to her parents if not her entire village. She's grateful that she and the spiky King have come to tolerate each other because at the end of it all - she'll remember to thank him for his time and effort in keeping her safe.

Ochako tilts her head in curiosity when she notices a black patch stain her left sleeve of her dress. Guessing that she'll need to do laundry again, she thinks nothing much of it and goes into the water. It's cold and refreshing, just what she needs on a hot humid day in the middle of another jungle area.

Swimming around the water, she hums to herself a tune that lately has comes to her frequently in her dreams. It's a song that her village would sing during times of prosperity such as the harvest season or a special occasion occurring.

The last happy moment for her village was when her best friend Deku had announced his engagement to their longtime childhood friend Shouto. Now both lovers laid still in black jagged stone, mere inches from actually holding each other hands like star-crossed lovers.

She wanted those happy moments to return once again, hoping that wherever the dragon King was taking her wouldn't be much longer now.

A violent cough takes over her body causing her to pause in her swim. Pounding a tiny fist against her chest to dislodge whatever had caused her discomfort, her hands start to shake when she notices the same black tar-like substance that had taken her dad away from her. Coughing more, her hand gets splashed in even more of the substance as things start to click together in her head.

Turning her left shoulder blade and head, she discovers the black goo covering all of her shoulder and stopping right before the bend of her elbow. Of course, how foolish could she have been to think that she hadn't been affected like the rest of her village. It was just a matter of time, sooner or later she'd be bound to an eternal life of black stone.

"Breathe, don't freak out just yet" she tells herself, remembering exactly the stages of the symptoms. The violent cough and the goo were only just the beginning. She wasn't about to question the why, why it's taken her body nearly five months to be affected. Taking it as a positive sign, she was determined more now than ever to hurry the hell up and get this cure.

But she wasn't going to tell the King or Eijirou about this. She'd fight on and continue their journey for as long as she could, relying on her own strengths until it got to a point where she needed to tell them.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

The sixth month: Ochako learns that the King is actually a pretty decent guy.

He's rough around the edges, sure.

He has quite the mouth and attitude on him, sure.

But he isn't evil.

"Is that all you've got, Round Face?" he laughs, reaching the top of a cliff before his two companions.

"What's – the – rush!" she heavily pants, weakened further by her secret illness, "I'm not the idiot who wants to get into a fist fight with a giant bird monster for her eggs!" she tells him with an amused tone.

He flips her off with a hearty laugh, "that's what I live for, you've gotta work your ass off for your meal!"

"Adrenaline junkie" Eijirou rolls his eyes, taking deep breaths through his nose.

"You're a fuckin' dragon and you're still weak as shit, Shitty Hair!" Katsuki can't believe these two, getting to the giant nest before them and running off to collect the eggs.

"Ugh, I swear, I question why we nominated him as King sometimes..." Eijirou shakes his head, wishing that his best friend and King wouldn't act like such a childish barbarian sometimes despite it secretly amusing him to see what trouble they'd get themselves into.

"Oh, how did he become King when he's, y'know…" Ochako has never asked any personal questions about the moody blond before, already knowing she'd get shunned away for being nosey. She doesn't say human, feeling like by now, she understands that it's a huge insult to the King of dragons.

Eijirou still won't give her the full nitty-gritty details of Katsuki's origins but he provides some minor insight, "one day, a small eight-year-old boy wandered into our parts of the woods, he was so tiny and frail that my parents decided to take him in, of course my father was against it but my mother couldn't just let a small defenseless child wander around deeper into the woods so we came to raise him as a dragon when years went by and no one came to claim him. Since he had grown up with us, he lost his sense of human speech. Katsuki and I grew up as brothers and as he got stronger and older, he proved to be just as much as a dragon as any of us despite not having any powers of his own and when my dad passed away, he asked Katsuki to become the new King. I was… too in love with Mina and irresponsible to take on the role as the next leader so… that's just how things are. At eighteen, Katsuki's our youngest leader we've ever had and I know our dad would be proud of him. I'm not jealous one bit and I know he loves being the King. He won't say it out loud, but he truly cares, his heart's always been in the right place"

Huh, so he was basically orphaned at such a young age. It started to make sense now, the reason why she had to cast a language spell on him and perhaps this short tale also explains his deeply rooted hatred for other humans. She felt in her heart, that he just hadn't known the love and compassion of good humans, only dragons, but he's grown to tolerate her, even going as far as to joke with her as friends do, so it was a start, right?

Ochako thanks Eijirou for the information. It's not much to go by but spoke volumes to her, feeling like she didn't need any finer detailed story about the King's past. In a somber way, she knew she wouldn't be allowed much more time to stay by his side. Whether the plague takes over her body or he cuts all ties with her once they reach their target - she doesn't feel like she's worthy of getting to know him any better if they aren't going to be near each other for much longer.

"Are you two losers gonna help me collect these eggs or what?" they hear Katsuki complain, holding one egg under his arm, getting ready to try and balance another. "If you don't, then none of y'all are eating tonight!" he warns with no heat behind his words.

"Yeah, yeah, we're coming!" Eijirou dramatically sighs, looking at Ochako. She giggles as he sprints towards his King with an amused smile on his lips. "Careful now not to crack it!" the red-head warns with a huge grin.

"Ha, like I would butter-fingers!" Katsuki chuckles, sticking out his tongue playfully at him. A second later, they hear a crack of an egg as both of them get splashed and washed in thick smelly egg mucus.

Ochako feels her heart skip a beat at the sight of the two guys joking around. They were running around the bird's nest, trying to get each other with the goo. She thinks in that moment that she doesn't want these happy moments to end, especially those chance, rare glimpses into the King's kind heart.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

The seventh month: Ochako is making a nice hearty beef stew for the trio, knowing that they've finally reached the location of the cure.

The King still hasn't told her the exact location but that it'd be at least another week's trek on foot to find the right volcano.

They're now in a volcanic terrain with active hot steaming geyser and caves. She prays to all the deities of the world that she can survive the week-long journey on land.

She's managed to hide her illness well for the past couple of months but now the tar has reached her neck and her entire back. Thankfully her hoodie and medium length bobbed haircut with her two long bangs had sheltered her illness but physically, it was starting to wear her down.

Even stirring the pot of stew was showing to be quite the opponent. "Need any help there, Ochako?" Eijirou had kindly offered a few times since she began cooking.

She thanks him by saying that his fire was more than enough help and Katsuki had offered to skin their meat and chop up the vegetables so it was fine.

He tells her that he'll go out to find more firewood, leaving her and the King alone. Katsuki is too consumed by sharpening his emerald blade with a rock that he doesn't pay attention to the sizzling bubbling sound of the food cooking, a comfortable silence washing over them.

While keeping an eye on her stew, she can't help but to feel a bit amused by the fact that her cooking food reminds her of the angry blond in front of her.

"What's so damn funny over there, Round Face?" he quirks an eyebrow up, pausing his own actions.

Having known him for seven months now, she's not afraid of him and can easily speak up her mind around him, "you remind me of beef stew"

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" he fights the chuckle building in his throat, just watching her toffee brown eyes reflect the red of the fire she's standing by.

"Well, while beef stew is a simple recipe to make, the outcomes will always come out differently depending on the person. Stews generally take time and patience to understand how they cook. And just like a stew, you're tough like the beef that goes into it, being rough around the edges but after some time, in other words - months, you soften up to be something much more desirable than what you first initially start off with. All the other ingredients that go into the stew which gives it its flavor are all the components of what make you, you. All the seasonings of condiments and the earthy vegetables make up the factors of getting to know you, getting to understand you, getting to unfold all these wonderful traits and things about you that someone in a rush to make a stew wouldn't normally get to discover" she softly speaks, with a lingering fondness in her tone and hint of sadness.

"That was cheesy as hell" he can't help the smile curling the corner of his lips, standing up from his post and walks up to her.

"I'm grateful to you and I'll be forever in your debt" she decides that now's the time to have a heart to heart. Feeling her strength leave her body with each passing hour, "I know I've never called you by name, so thank you King, for everything that you've done in your power to keep me safe. Now that we're just days away from finding the cure to save my people, I feel much more at ease about things. I know I still have a lot to learn as a mage but I just hope I'll be able to continue my studies after we do this" she tightly grips the long wooden spoon she's using to stir the pot and has to hold herself up when a dizzy spell comes flooding her way.

"Hey, you okay?" he catches her when she violently sways. "Damn right you'll be one badass mage that no one can fuck with!" he encourages, one hand ghosting over her back in case she sways again.

"Yeah, thank you" she weakly smiles at him, "I'm just tired" she tells him in a half-truth.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Two days later, Katsuki knows that something's amiss.

All this time that he's gotten used to allowing a human to be near his presence, he's discovered that it wasn't as bad as he thought it'd be. Sure, she was annoying as hell with her overly positive outlook on life and things in general but her spunk, that fiery determination to do good and selfless drive was what had piqued his interest in her. He swore and vowed to all the dragon deities that he'd never fall for humans because all they were good for was abandoning you and deceit.

His own parents were killed off by other humans, leaving him an orphan in unknown lands. Why should he suddenly open his heart and be compassionate to potential assholes that just wanna to wreck everything in their path?

But she was different in that way that she came off as convincing him to actually give a shit. While he still wasn't entirely doing this to help the human race, he at least wanted to help her out with her problems because her problem would expand to eventually be his own too.

Throughout their journey, traveling from vast land to vast land of different environmental domains, there was always a lucky aura that he's felt radiating off of her like a damn sponge.

Now, that same lucky, bright, and ever warm aura was starting to diminish and it was starting to freak him the hell out. He wasn't one to believe in magic, at first being angered by the fact that she had given him his human speech back, but now, growing accustomed to her magical presence - he was starting to believe in its affect. Part of him even being comforted by the lingering aura.

His taut stomach twists with concern as he's been carefully watching the young mage like a hawk. She sways again, sluggishly walking further behind him.

"Eijirou, transform" he orders in a low voice, not bothering to call him by his rude nickname.

Eijirou doesn't question it, knowing that when his friend uses his name, it's serious. Before he can distance himself from the two to transform, they both turn around at the sound of the weak mage's two pieces of her broom clattering to the ground, finding Ochako face-first on the ground.

Katsuki is the first to get to her, turning her around and held her in his arms. "Oi, what's wrong Round Face?!" he shakes her, it's been months since her first fainting spell. Immediately his hands get stained in the black chalky goo, the stuff starting to solidify as its properties constantly switch around.

"K-King…" she flutters her eyes, wincing at the light, "save my people, please" she croaks with black tears streaming down her face, accepting her fate to die before reaching her goal.

"Hell no, you're saving them yourself!" he tells her, scooping up her legs and carrying her to a now full dragon Eijirou.

"We need to get to the highest volcano" he says as the red dragon roars. Powerful wings creating a large burst of wind as they rush to find the right volcano.

Katsuki holds her close to his chest, racing against time itself to get her to the volcano. Truth be told, he's not one-hundred percent certain that he knows which volcano it is that they need in order to find the extremely rare One For All rainbow quartz.

He's only ever heard tales of the all-powerful quartz from his dragon father, the last head of their clan. Even his own father hadn't seen it in his lifetime as the All For One black plague had destroyed everything well over 500 years ago. They don't know what causes it to appear or what other remedies they could use to ward it off. Their only hope was a rare volcanic rainbow gem known as the One For All.

The one and only source of power to counteract the destructive plague and he's not even sure that in Ochako's current state that she'll be able to absorb all its powers.

Eijirou flies them to the top of the highest volcano, transforming back. "What's the plan?" he asks hesitantly, unsure of things himself. They both give each other a hopeful silent look, knowing that Ochako must have truly been the chosen one. Even mages and other spell casters couldn't hold off from being affected by the plague for as long as she has.

She has a higher resistance to the black substance.

"I'm throwing her in" Katsuki grits his teeth, hating how shitty of a plan it sounds like.

"You're what?!" Eijirou yells, feeling the intense heat instantly drench him in sweat, "you're gonna kill her if you do that, Katsuki!" he tries to reason, knowing that they're both lost in what to do.

"Look, dad says the tales led to a tall ass volcano. Where do you think we are, Eijirou!" he grips Ochako tightly in his arms, "I'm going in with her" he says in a final tone of voice, one that won't budge from his made-up mind no matter what his best friend/brother says to him.

"You're fuckin' insane, dude!" Eijirou shakes his head, not stopping him one bit. "Shit! Good luck I guess" he clamps one hand over Katsuki's shoulder.

Katsuki takes one step close, "if I fuckin' die, then suck it up, grow a pair and be a better kick ass King than me, ya hear!" he says as he grips Ochako tighter and jumps.

Eijirou wasn't given time to reply back to his words, watching the two disappear into the steaming abyss.

The scorching heat could be felt into his very bones, tenderizing his body but it wasn't as bad as he had assumed thanks to the bright glowing pink aura coming off of Ochako's body. In the distance, he could see a sparkling rainbow light resonating with the girl's pink one.

"Well, I'll be damned" he widely grins, reaching the rainbow quartz at the bottom of the volcano. It was resting on a high rock table, deeply embedded into it.

He knows he has no way of touching the gem as it could only be touched by a chosen few. "I may not be the person you want but I need help in curing her first!" he tells the gem but it still won't allow him to grab it, gritting his teeth, he's starting to lose his patience fast, "she's fucking dying and you're just being a big pain in the ass! Some shitty gem you are!" he yells. "Please, you gotta save her!" he hates begging, never having to in his life.

The gem shines brighter as the two pieces of Ochako's broom fly down from where they were left with Eijirou. The King of dragons silently watches the two pieces zoom directly into the large gem carved into the volcanic center. When the broom came out, it was shining in a rainbow hue, transforming into a thick sturdy staff with a hollow center on top.

The staff absorbed partial energy from the gem, flying to Ochako's side in the King's protective embrace. Squeezing what little it gained from the rainbow quartz, it breathed new life into the young mage. Black goo vanishing from her body, reversing the slow solidifying effect that was rapidly taking over her body.

As if possessed, Ochako began glowing even brighter to the point that Katsuki had to shield his eyes. The glow lifted her up, extending her hand to hook the staff and held it up. The One For All quartz finally responded once she was rid of the plague, floating to rest in the center hollow ridge of the wooden staff.

Once the ritual was complete, the glowing stopped. Whatever was guarding them from the lava was now left opened, "okay, time to get the hell outta here" he says, tugging on Ochako who was still holding the staff. He growls in pain when he feels something burning on his right arm, not caring to see what it is in that moment. The volcano began rumbling, ready to erupt with rocks flying everywhere, that's probably what had nicked him.

"Oi, shitty staff, get us outta here!" he orders with a slight panic rising within him.

The staff obeys by flying them up without any warning. Katsuki is left screaming the entire way up as the staff drops him on his ass with a loud thud while gently bringing Ochako down.

"We're using you as firewood tonight!" he threatens while rubbing his sore back.

"You've both made it back in one piece!" Eijirou hugs him, relieved to know that they had guessed right on the volcano.

Katsuki scoffs, "'course we'd be!"

That night, he shoots Eijirou a warning glare to not speak of his actions. He was shielding Ochako in his arms as she slept peacefully now that they were out of harm's way. He would've been more concerned if it weren't for her soft mumbling letting him know that she was just asleep.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

In the morning, Ochako is back to normal, getting filled in on what had happened to her.

"Hey guys, I'll be right back!" Eijirou waves his hand, running off to chase after a rare bird he had caught sight of days prior. He was determined in collecting at least one of its feather to show his wife.

Now alone, Ochako can't describe what she's feeling. Tugging on the loose fabric of the front of her semi-baggy dress, she fumbles for the right words, "thank you for not giving up on me back there, King…" yeah, a nice simple show of gratitude would suffice. There's so much more that she would love to tell him but her words are caught up in her throat. It also doesn't help that she's feeling an aching sore pain coming from her left arm. She figures that it's probably just the after effects from the tar first affecting her there without bothering to take a look.

"It's Katsuki" he grunts without thinking.

"Eh?" she questions with a slight blush.

"My name, use it" he sighs, hiding his own blush while awkwardly rubbing at his right arm, having covered his tattoo with a piece of cactus dripping with aloe vera.

She nods with a bright smile, thanking him for allowing her to use his real name.

"So how are you feeling?" she slowly asks, knowing that he didn't have to go down to the pit of the volcano with her. He could've easily just thrown her in there and hope for the best.

"Besides my tattoo getting fucked up, I'm peachy" he rolls his eyes with a deep sigh. He isn't annoyed or anything, just uncomfortable with the burning pain.

"Oh, uh same" she rubs her left arm, "I don't have tattoos but my shoulder is also hurting"

He grunts again, acknowledging her right as Eijirou comes back waving around a feather, victoriously managing to capture a few multi-colored and printed feathers.

A week later: both Ochako and Katsuki scream, waking up Eijirou bright and early in the morning.

"What's going on?" he yawns when he sees them both examining their arms.

Katsuki's 'K' on his right arm had magically turned into an 'O' meanwhile Ochako who has never had a tattoo in her life now suddenly has his missing 'K' on her left shoulder.

"The fuck did you do to me!" he snarls, it was too damn early for him to be getting worked up and pissed beyond belief.

"I didn't do anything!" she's quick to defend herself. "My staff's been neutral ever since the volcano!" she hastily explains, pointing at the staff right next to all their other belongings.

"Bullshit!" he seethes, his gaze switching between hers and the new 'O' on his arm.

"Whoa, you two are born from the same ember!" Eijirou happily exclaims, not wanting to question how it was possible when they were both human. He's always assumed that the occurrence was a dragon only thing but he guesses he was either wrong or that there was a first time for anything.

They both give him a look that he better hurry up and explain.

"When two compatible souls find each other, they gain their lover's initial on their arm as a brand" he chuckles, showing his own 'M' to them, "it's the manliest and coolest thing to ever happen"

"But we aren't lovers!" they both yell in unison, "Hey, you stop that!" they say again in sync.

"Tell that to destiny" Eijirou's wide stupid grin is now permanently plastered on his face, tail swishing to his side in amusement, "no matter the distance, you'll feel each other's aura and find yourself right back to each other so you better get used to it" he says, itching to see his own lover soon now that they're slowly making their way back.

Ochako and Katsuki are both left speechless, blood rushing to their cheeks, ears, nose, and necks from their furious blushes.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

The ninth month: things are still awkward between the two but something was tugging at his heart when he freaked out at the thought of losing her.

She's clumsy as hell, always causing him to run after her because she can't stay alive for two seconds without the environment trying to screw things over.

It was just her luck that they fall victims to a massive earthquake that made rocks, natural debris, and one young mage almost fall off the edge of a cliff.

"I've got you!" Katsuki yells as he deathly grips onto her hand. Eijirou right behind him as support, holding onto his waist with one arm and the other wrapped around a creaking tree that could give out at any second.

"Please, don't let go!" she cries, the tumultuous weather making it hard for her to keep her hold of his hand while her other tried to hold onto her new staff. She couldn't afford to lose the staff holding the cure for her village. "Katsuki, I'm scared!" she yells as loud as she can to be heard through the dangerous winds blowing their way.

It should've been called a tornado and not an earthquake.

"Eijirou, let go of me and hold onto my cape instead!" he orders, coming up with a plan.

He does as he's told by his King, moving to grip the flapping cape allowing Katsuki to lean fully down to grab Ochako. She's trembling in his arms by the time that he's able to fully pull her back up from the cliff's edge.

Afraid and in disbelief that she's survived yet again, she stays in his embrace and he doesn't mind one bit, feeling immensely relieved.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

The tenth month: Ochako learns that Katsuki is by far the worst patient that she's ever had to attend to.

As a mage, she's inclined to learning all she can about white and black magic. Although she mainly has a preference for the white magic side of the spectrum because it's always been in her nature since birth to help others. Yes, the elements in black magic could also help others but there just wasn't anything quite like being able to produce healing remedies with her own two hands.

Katsuki was being careless during his hunt for their latest dinner, failing to notice when exactly the wild boar had rammed its tusks into his stomach. At first, she couldn't determine how bad of a cut it was due to him dripping with a mix of his own blood and the blood of the wild animal.

"Will you quit being such a baby!" she swats his hand away for the hundredth time when he barks in pain. She's trying to clean his wound before applying an ointment she made from her recent plant foraging supplies.

It also doesn't help that there's growing tension between them, never delving into the topic of discussing what had happened back in the volcanic lands. She's trying to push those thoughts away but it's hard when she knows she finds him attractive in that sort of rugged, wild, barbaric type of way.

Maybe it's true what they say - opposites do attract.

"It fucking hurts and you're taking too damn long!" he complains, all traces of his adrenaline now gone, leaving him to feel nothing but throbbing pain as his chest heaves.

Ochako's hand that's holding a white wet cloth slips when he takes a breath in, his muscles contracting as she touches the bare ridges of his taut abs. Gulping, she adjusts her hand, making sure to only touch him with her cloth but his blood soaks it in red after one swipe.

"I need to… to change the water!" she's quick to leave his side, taking her small bowl and going elsewhere to wring the cloth out to clean it.

Katsuki grits his teeth in pain, watching her leave, but the small graze of her fingers still lingers on his skin.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

By the eleventh month, they're still both in denial about what had happened to them with the tattoos.

Katsuki was determined to never make contact with humans ever again but was forced to when Eijirou came to him for help. He's never believed in the dragon's tales of a soulmate, thinking that his best friend/brother was just a love crazed idiot for their childhood friend Mina.

Ochako on the other hand, did believe in love at first sight and soulmates. Neither of the two ever being linked to the King of dragons of all people. She wasn't looking for romance when her village was in dire need of help. Now that she wields the power and knowledge to break the spell on her people, she could _possibly_ start to wonder about the _what-if's_.

It's during one particular nasty rain storm that the trio are bundled up in a damp cold cave. Eijirou wandered off deeper into the cave to try and look for anything dry enough to burn. Katsuki is left busy trying to roll a boulder to cover the front entrance of the cave they're in.

She watches as his back muscles tense and flex with each movement, his breath heavy, exhaling out puffs of cold air as he fights the rain and wind splashing him. Its then that Ochako decides to rip the sleeves off her dress, fully revealing her hidden tattoo of his 'K.'

"Use this to wipe off with" she offers her sleeves to him, once he's finished in covering their cave as best as he could. He doesn't say a word, glancing over at the tattoo but takes the sleeve anyway.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

The twelfth month: they accidentally share their very first kiss.

Well, if they didn't count the one time she used magic for a language spell.

They're making their way back exactly the same way they came with some minor bumps along the way. Katsuki insisting that they're taking shortcuts by slightly changing the direction of certain locations.

He wasn't about to get stuck with her for another seven months just to get back home.

Traveling through a land filled to the brim with various exotic fruits, vegetables, flowers, and animals - it was truly a paradise for any spell caster. Things that'd normally cost her an arm and a leg at the bustling towns was free and wildly grown here. Of course, Katsuki warned her not to touch anything she doesn't recognize.

Eijirou was on edge too, feeling bad vibes coming off the more vividly colored plants. Ochako rolled her eyes at both of them, not needing them to baby her. "I'll… uhh… wait right here for you two" he cautiously says, refusing to leave his post by where they landed.

Katsuki grunts, following after Ochako to make sure she doesn't get herself caught in quick sand again or something even more tedious.

"You really don't need to follow me, I know what I'm searching for" she tries to keep an even tone, appreciating their worry but hating that it came off as them wanting to hold her hand for once.

"Just do your damn thing, I'll keep my mouth shut" he bargains, falling a few steps behind to make her feel as if she's in control.

Rolling her eyes, she mutters under her breath, "it's gonna rain again"

"I heard that, Round Face!" he smirks when he sees her stumble on her next step, thinking that he hadn't. Hell yeah he did, he has trained his ears well over the years.

They're walking past all sorts of plants when they discover a garden filled with a variety of scents and strangely patterned flowers. She's giddy, squealing at the thought of getting to go home with very own mini collection of ingredients for manual spells.

"Katsuki, please don't touch anything or try and fight something bigger than you here" it's her turn to warn him as he simply laughs, "please, I can handle myself!"

His over confidence and ego would someday be his downfall.

Shrugging her shoulders, she resumes her search for specific items when a flower blows a puff of red spicy scented mist in the shape of a heart in her face.

Coughing at the perfume, she shakes it off right as she sees that Katsuki had fallen victim to the same flower.

"What the fuck was that?" he coughs, shaking his hair from the red tinted pollen.

When her eyes lock into his, her eyes droop to a half-lidded glazed over look. She can't help but to lick her lips, front teeth scraping her bottom lip in desire.

Since a young age, Katsuki had been exposed to several different toxins, gases, pheromones, and weird ass plants but he'd be lying if he says he wasn't being affected by the strange red and black polka dotted flower.

It's like, for the first time, he's facing the truth of what he's known has always been lurking there all along.

Attraction to Ochako.

"Katsuki…" she says in a tone, dripping with honey, "kiss me" her voice whispery, laced with want.

"Fight it, Angel Face" he bites his tongue, wondering where the hell the new nickname came from, "it's just the weed speaking, you don't really wanna kiss me" his chest hurts from his own words, but it's true, they'd both be stupid to fall prey to a lustful flower.

"You're wrong, this isn't a love… love…" she struggles with her words, feeling a surge of heat filling her. She's trying to tell him that it wasn't a simple love pheromone, this flower was two-hundred times more potent. It was a true desire serum, revealing what a person truly secretly desires the most.

Her hands wrap around her neck, struggling to fight off the heat, "kiss me" she pleas with a strained voice. It's damn well enough to drive him over the edge as he's now finding himself struggling with his own wants and needs.

"Ahhh…" he groans, suddenly feeling parched with his own heat building up within himself, "fuck it!" he yells, launching towards her.

She jumps into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. Crashing her lips into his, her hands run through his ash blond hair, tugging and pulling as she loudly moans. The spark of their first unofficial kiss still there but feeling much more intense now that it's grown. Back then he didn't think much about kissing her, rather being pissed at the notion of having to kiss a human.

That kiss back then, despite only for a spell purpose, was still strong enough in her memories to where she's never forgotten it. His tongue dances along her lips, prying her mouth open to deepen their kiss. His hands lower to rest on her ass as he moans at the feeling of her. They fit perfectly together like two pieces of a puzzle.

The rush of emotions hits them fast and just as quickly, it simmers down to a pleasant null.

"Angel Face…" he whispers, pecking her lips.

"Katsuki…" she whispers back, kissing his cheeks.

Both realizing in that moment that Eijirou had been right all along. They were branded, chained together, born of the same spark of an ember, soulmates.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

In the springtime: they return back home in the span of a full year.

The trip back was shorter than first setting off. It was crazy to think that so much had changed since then. They first make a stop to the dragon's clan so that Katsuki can announce his arrival and safety back to the group.

Ochako patiently waits in the same woods that had first started it all, understanding that the dragons wouldn't feel at ease with a stranger there, especially a human.

Katsuki kissed her briefly, promising to return as soon as he's settled things. Eijirou didn't really feel like going to greet his fellow brothers and sisters.

"I just want to see Mina" he confesses, "I'm missing her like crazy" he says while clutching her pendant that he's been wearing ever since Ochako first returned it to him.

Ochako found it sweet.

They didn't have to wait very long for Katsuki as he came back and asked if he could speak to Eijirou alone. Confused as to what it could be, both young men walked off to speak in private.

"You've told me before that you wanna settle down with Mina" Katsuki starts, face filled with an unreadable expression.

"Um, yeah?" Eijirou confirms, not really knowing where this conversation was going.

"Do you still feel that way?" Katsuki asks with a hard look, "no second-guessing and acting like a spineless little bitch"

"Katsuki, just spit it out!" he's starting to get a sense of what this might be.

"Fine. I'm thinking about taking some time off from King duties" he knows it's sudden but he's been thinking long and hard about it now for months. "I don't know how this romance shit works, okay, but if I want it to work with Ochako… I can't have my mind on other things. You've told me before that you're ready to settle down and I know that your dumbass is more than ready to take over for dad…" he's never been one to be sentimental but these new feelings blooming in him, wanted him to at least _try_.

"You're serious?" Eijirou lets out a long whistle, "yeah, okay, I'll do it and be a better King than you've ever been!" he lightly jokes, knowing that he could never amount to the greatness of his brother but try and be his very own best type of King for their people.

"I'm sure Pinky will be over the moon happy" Katsuki rolls his eyes at the thought, he'll never admit to missing their friend, "but don't expect me to babysit your little _demons_ anytime soon"

Eijirou laughs at this, feeling excited to finally being able to have the family he's always dreamed of having with his young wife. "I promise to watch over your precious _angels_ too, former King of mine"

"Oi, it ain't legit until the entire clan witnesses the transfer of power!"

"Yeah, yeah"

It was agreed upon that they wouldn't announce their plans until Mina was back where she rightfully belongs with their people and Ochako's village freed from the plague.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

A rowdy bar isn't where Eijirou expected to find Mina working but it also amused him greatly since he knows just how strong of a character she can be. She looks as beautiful as the day they first fell in love, his feelings never wavering for her as Ochako lures her out of the bar and finds her spiky red-head anxiously waiting for her right outside.

"Ei?" she gasps, "Eijirou!" she squeals, running straight into his arms and kissing him with much enthusiasm and yearning.

Ochako awes as she watches Eijirou spin her around, merrily laughing as if all the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders.

Katsuki stands by her side, cringing and just making disgusted faces at his childhood friends. He bites the inside of his cheek, stopping himself from yelling for them to get a room because he knows that his comment would backfire.

"Do you think you'll greet me with that much enthusiasm once I return to my village and you to your clan?" Ochako asks Katsuki, still out of the loop about the change of plans. She's come to accept the fact that they wouldn't be able to be a regular couple. They'd have to settle for a long-distance relationship.

He eyes her up and down, still wondering how this chubby pink-cheeked, bubbly Angel Face managed to crawl her way straight into his closed off heart.

"Hmm… maybe" he vaguely says, tapping her forehead, secretly enjoying the way her face heats up with the faintest of blushes.

She swats his hand away, playfully sticking her tongue out at him.

"Hey guys, why don't we celebrate with a nice hearty beef stew?" Eijirou suggests, coming back to them holding hands with Mina. She tells them about the delicious stew that they make fresh daily at the bar.

Ochako and Katsuki both look at each other, silent for a moment before they both burst into a fit of laughter.

"Huh, what's so funny guys?" Eijirou asks, feeling left out of some inside joke.

Yeah, the King of dragons was definitely like beef stew. It takes one special albeit clumsy mage to know exactly how to nurture the flavor into something totally amazing.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

~Epilogue~

Ochako's done it.

She's saved her village but she was never alone throughout her long quest to find a cure. She couldn't have done it without the aid of some of the dearest friends she's made along the way, with one in particular becoming so much more to her.

When she saved her friends and family last spring, she hadn't stayed home for very long. Making sure that everyone was back to normal, she only stuck around for a day. Leaving a letter addressed to her parents the next day, telling them just how sorry she is for her abrupt decision to set off right as she's returned.

In her letter she explained how there was still so much more she wanted to see and learn out there. Experiences that she wouldn't have been able to accomplish if she stayed sheltered all her life. She knows she'll always have her parents blessing in whatever she does but she still can't help but to apologize a couple more times for her selfish act.

She tells them that she's happy. Truly happy and madly in love, promising that her letters won't end here. She'll continue to write to them, letting them know all about her grand adventures.

Seasons come and go with the passing time, three cycles and one winter afternoon later, she finally returns home.

Grown into her role as a skilled mage, and much wiser at nineteen.

The first she goes to visit on her trek back home is the new King of dragons. Eijirou's now a full-time father with fraternal twins in their terrible two's; puffing little embers of fire, swishing tiny dragon tails around with the cutest giggles she's ever heard. Ochako is delighted by seeing her friends, happily married with their twins and another on the way.

Mina lovingly rubs her swollen belly and gushes while trying to get an update on her friend's travels. A gruff voice right next to Ochako grows annoyed when they all joke and tell him that he's gotten soft.

Now it's time for her to go home to her small humble village.

Nervously, she holds onto a callous large hand. Her own smaller hand fits perfectly into his, a pink and green sapphire encrusted ring shimmers proudly on her ring finger.

"Ochako's home" they hear the village chant, creating a path leading towards her childhood home. Her mother was sitting on their porch in a wooden rocking chair that she leaves rocking as she rushes down the stairs while her father had long since abandoned his axe on the floor that he had just been using to chop firewood.

In Ochako's arms, a small bundle could be seen, wrapped snuggly in a dragon patterned blanket protectively against her chest.

Her mother gasps, covering her mouth with both hands as the tears stream down her face. Her father holds his wife to his side as his own tears threaten to fall. Both her parents had been awaiting this day for so very long ever since the last letter came that their daughter was expecting.

Ochako looks to her husband, Katsuki warmly smiles back at his wife. They're both eager to introduce their little one to her parents.

"Papa… Mama… this is…" she begins.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Done!

I just really wanted to write a fantasy au but not have it drag on and on by making it multi-chap. Honestly, I feel quite accomplished and surprised with myself for having been able to write such a long one-shot since this took me a couple of days to complete. WOOHOO!

I've never been one to personally create detailed descriptions, let alone names for OC kids for my favorite ships so I left the baby/children's gender and everything else entirely up to the reader's own interpretation.

I hope that y'all enjoyed the cheese~

And now I must tumble away to my current on-going Kacchako fic – _A Tsundere's Heart_.

I don't own Ochako Uraraka or Katsuki Bakugou and all other characters used in this fic – Boku No Hero Academia is owned by Kohei Horikoshi.

I just own the idea/plot/story/whatever you want to call it~ lol :P

Please remember to R&R! If anyone is afraid to leave reviews due to language difference - please don't be! I can fluently read Spanish and partial French! :) And hey, that's why Google translate was invented after all! LOL.


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